Waterloo, Canada – August 12, 2009 – The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) will host its annual international conference October 2-4, 2009. The purpose of the event is to define and debate issues of critical global importance, and identify innovative practices that can assist in meeting global challenges. This year’s event will examine systemic impacts of the global economic crisis.

Towards a Global New Deal will bring together more than 200 accomplished global opinion leaders, researchers, policy makers, business executives and journalists to address two broad themes: (1) The impact of the current global economic crisis on the evolution of various governance systems and (2) the future role of financial regulators, the shifting role of the state in economic governance, and views on whether globalization should be furthered or better harnessed in light of the crisis.

The conference program starts on October 2 with a dinner keynote address by economist Jagdish Bhagwati, who is a professor at Columbia University and senior fellow in International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations. His long distinguished career includes posts as the special adviser to the United Nations on Globalization, and external adviser to the World Trade Organization. Dr. Bhagwati is well known for his advocacy of free trade.

The Right Honourable Paul Martin, former prime minster of Canada, will open the proceedings on October 3 with a breakfast keynote address. In September l999, as Canada's finance minister, Mr. Martin was named inaugural chair of the G20, an international group of finance ministers and Central Bank governors, composed of the G7 nations and emerging market nations. He is respected internationally for his leadership in working to forge a new global financial order.

Internationally renowned American economist Paul Krugman will close the proceedings on October 3 with a dinner keynote address. Dr. Krugman is a professor of economics and international affairs at Princeton University, as well as an op-ed page columnist for The New York Times. In 2008, he was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity.

The final day of the conference features keynote speaker Roberto Mangabeira Unger, a Brazilian contemporary social theorist, politician and law professor at Harvard Law School, who is widely regarded as one of today’s leading social thinkers. Dr. Unger has long been active in Brazilian and Latin American politics, as a candidate, political activist and as an advisor to world leaders. He also taught U.S. President Barack Obama while he was at Harvard University.

The conference also includes high-level panel presentations by internationally recognized speakers. Topics of discussion include: the effects of the global economic crisis on global finance, trade and investment, food security and poverty, as well as environmental challenges.

The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) is an independent, nonpartisan think tank that addresses international governance challenges. Led by a group of experienced practitioners and distinguished academics, CIGI supports research, forms networks, advances policy debate, builds capacity, and generates ideas for multilateral governance improvements. Conducting an active agenda of research, events and publications, CIGI's interdisciplinary work includes collaboration with policy, business and academic communities around the world. CIGI was founded in 2002 by Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of RIM (Research In Motion), and collaborates with and gratefully acknowledges support from a number of strategic partners, in particular the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario. For more information, please visit www.cigionline.org

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